Former Spurs player points to Harry Kane moment behind Tottenham downturn

One former Tottenham player has pointed to Harry Kane’s departure as the moment that marked Spurs’ downward trajectory.

It has been half a century since Tottenham Hotspur last played in a division outside the English top flight.

But this season, they run the risk of losing their Premier League status, as they sit a single point above the relegation line after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Spurs’ decline, though, did not start this term. Last campaign, the Lilywhites finished 17th but were barely involved in a relegation scrap, and one former Tottenham player now believes the club’s downturn can be traced back to 2023.

Micky Stead links Harry Kane’s exit to Spurs’ decline

Micky Stead was among the players who featured in the last Tottenham side to be relegated – a team that included talents such as Glenn Hoddle, Pat Jennings and Peter Taylor. At 20 years old, Stead featured in eight matches during that ill-fated campaign.

Now working as a cab driver, he told Football London he was disappointed to see Spurs struggling and suggested Harry Kane’s departure in 2023 marked a turning point for the club.

Reflecting on the situation, Stead said: “I am gutted for them really. The players will be disappointed. Everyone is disappointed.

“I do not think we have had the vision to grow the club. We have got everything – the stadium, the training facilities, the scouting – but you look at what happened with Harry Kane.

“He has gone to Germany, and this is his third season there. Why could Spurs not keep him? Because he wanted to win something, so he must have known.

“He is scoring goals for fun there and could have been doing that in the Premier League. It is just a lot of changes at Spurs.”

Spurs still feeling the impact of Kane’s departure

There is no denying Harry Kane’s impact at Tottenham. The England captain played a major role in Spurs’ recent success domestically and in Europe.

His time at the club represented a golden era, during which Tottenham challenged for the Premier League and reached a Champions League final.

Former Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has also spoken about Kane’s influence and what he believes the striker could have achieved had he remained at the club.

Speaking previously about the forward, Postecoglou said he felt Spurs could have finished higher with Kane still leading the line.

“He is an unbelievable player. If I had Harry the last two years, that first year we finished fifth, I am convinced we would have finished in Champions League spots,” Postecoglou said.

During the same interview, the Aussie added that despite only working with Kane for a short period, he regarded the striker as the finest player he has coached up close.

“People underestimate the role Harry Kane played over the past ten years. I only worked with him for a couple of months, but he is the best player I have witnessed close up in my whole career,” he added

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